


Inside My Life (Inside My Head)

by flipflop_diva



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Harry Potter Setting, Alternate Universe - Roommates/Housemates, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-16
Updated: 2014-06-16
Packaged: 2018-02-04 21:10:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,325
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1793326
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flipflop_diva/pseuds/flipflop_diva
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>On her path to becoming Minister of Magic, there are some things Auror Maria Hill has to learn to put up with. The most frustrating is her annoying roommate in the shape of one Natasha Romanov. Set in a Harry Potter universe post-Deathly Hallows.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Inside My Life (Inside My Head)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Tam_Cranver](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tam_Cranver/gifts).



Same as every morning since she had moved in, the ringing alarm that sounded like a banshee’s cry tore Maria Hill from her sleep an hour before she wanted it to. And same as every morning since she had moved in, her disruptive roommate seemed to have no intention of turning it off.

In fact, after Maria had hauled herself out of bed and made her way down the short hall between their rooms, tripping over shirts and cloaks and other sorts of random objects, she discovered said roommate wasn’t even there at all.

And same as every morning since she had moved in, Maria left Natasha’s room and headed toward the shower, again tripping over more of Natasha’s stuff, and found herself wishing for the billionth time that she could live with anyone else.

She even longed for her days of being in the Hogwarts dorms with girls who giggled all night long and a kneazle who thought it was fun to sleep on her head.

What she wouldn’t give for that right now.

What she really, really wouldn’t give for her own flat right now. Just the thought of it, empty and waiting for her back in London, made her want to cry.

But she was an auror now, and when Minister Fury gave you an assignment, you did what you were supposed to do and you didn’t ask questions and you didn’t talk back. Especially when the Minister had pulled her aside a few weeks back, right before he had given her this assignment, and told her he thought she was really going places and he was lucky to have her.

Sure, Maria wanted her flat back, but more than that, she envisioned herself as an assistant to Minister Fury someday. Maybe even Minister Hill herself.

Which meant she had to put up with a little bit of uncomfortableness that came in the form of one Natasha Romanova.

She had known Natasha for years. Well, if you could count it as knowing her. But at the very least, they had gone to school together, Natasha in Gryffindor and Maria in Slytherin. But whereas Maria had made it a point to befriend a lot of people, Natasha kept to herself, so much so that people wondered if she had any friends at all.

Natasha did have her strengths, of course. She was an amazing duelist, and she had been the best Defense Against the Dark Arts student in years. No one could cast curses and jinxes like Natasha, and the way she seemed to have almost superhuman powers when it came to dodging spells cast at her meant no one had ever wanted to go against her. It also made her an amazing auror. Which Maria appreciated and respected.

She just wished Natasha was as amazing in other areas of life. Like cleaning up after herself. Or letting her in. The way Natasha always seemed to be keeping a secret or twenty … it was unnerving, and in all honesty, it made it very hard for Maria to trust her when they were on the job.

But she had no choice.

Natasha was waiting for her in the kitchen once Maria was showered and dressed. Her wand was in her hand and her cloak was already on. She didn’t say where she had been and Maria had learned long ago not to ask since there was never going to be an answer.

“There’s been a sighting,” Natasha said without preamble. “In Edge Wood’s cross. A Muggle was found dead. A witness told the Muggle police he saw a tattoo. It sounds like the Death Eater mark.”

Maria nodded, slipping her own cloak on.

“Okay,” she said. “Let’s go.”

•••

Maria was beyond furious. She didn’t care that the culprit who they had been chasing for a month now had slipped through their grasp once again, even though they had never been this close before. She didn’t care that her cloak was singed from where she had been hit with a curse. She didn’t even care that Natasha had accidentally led them into a trap because she hadn’t stopped to think.

What she did care about was how her so-called partner had left her behind to battle three Death Eaters and hadn’t bothered to come back to help.

Now, Maria stormed into their house, rage boiling over inside her.

Natasha was in the living room, pacing back and forth. Her back was to Maria, but for a second Maria just stood and stewed and watched her roommate’s red hair bounce lightly back and forth.

And then she couldn’t help it.

“What the bloody hell was that?” she roared. “You left me there to die, and you can’t even be bothered to come back and make sure I was okay? What is wrong with you?”

Natasha had frozen as soon as the first syllable was out of Maria’s mouth, but she hadn’t bothered to turn around.

Maria flew toward her, grabbing her by the shoulder and whirling her around so Natasha would have to look at her.

What she saw left her speechless.

Tears were streaming down Natasha’s face in waves, smearing her makeup. Her eyes were red and puffy.

Maria’s hand fell away from Natasha as quickly as she had put in there. She took a step back, all the air instantly leaving her.

She hadn’t even thought Natasha had feelings.

They stood like that, Maria barely breathing, Natasha crying, for a few endless moments until Natasha palmed away her tears and Maria remembered why she was mad.

“You left me,” Maria said, this time her voice much softer. “You left me there to _die_. How could you?”

“No.” Natasha had begun shaking her head as soon as “die” had left Maria’s mouth and now she was shaking it harder. “No, I didn’t … I wasn’t … That isn’t ….”

A choking sound came out of her mouth, and Natasha slapped a hand to cover it.

“How was that not leaving me to die?” Maria said. She had a strong urge to step forward and wrap her arms around Natasha, to tell her it was okay, but it wasn’t. It was _not_ okay. It was _very much_ not okay.

“I thought …” Natasha stopped. Maria watched her as she breathed in, closed her eyes for a moment and then opened them again. She seemed calmer.

“I had a bad feeling,” she said. “I thought there were more of them. I thought you had inside handled and if I went to check that it would be less risky than us both going. It wasn’t until I got outside that I realized …”

Natasha trailed off. Maria watched as a few new tears darted down her cheeks.

“… that I realized it was a trap,” she finally continued. She sucked in a breath. “I tried to go back in, as soon as I figured it out, I did. But it was too …”

She trailed off again, this time wringing her hands.

“Too late?” Maria said. “I needed help.”

She wanted to admonish Natasha more, but she couldn’t. The way Natasha was looking at her …

“I thought you were dead,” Natasha whispered. “I saw you and I thought … I thought I had killed you.”

“So you turned around and fled?” Maria said.

“I didn’t know what to do,” she said. Her voice dropped even lower. “The only person I’ve ever loved and I killed her.”

For the second time in five minutes, Maria was speechless.

“I’m so sorry,” Natasha whispered, and she was crying again. “I’ll leave.”

She turned around to go, but Maria instinctively reached out, grabbing her wrist. Her skin was soft and smooth beneath her hand.

“No,” Maria said. She pulled Natasha toward her, into her arms. “Don’t go.”

“Don’t go?” Natasha repeated. Her eyes were fixed on Maria’s lips.

“Don’t go,” Maria said. She leaned forward, their lips a fraction of a millemeter apart. “Please.”

Natasha closed the gap.

“I won’t.”


End file.
